


Feel Better

by supercalvin



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Doctor!Merlin, Established Relationship, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-05
Updated: 2016-02-05
Packaged: 2018-05-18 08:07:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,160
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5910262
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/supercalvin/pseuds/supercalvin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Merlin is an A&E doctor. After a long shift, he gets a call from his boyfriend.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Feel Better

**Author's Note:**

> [Chinese Translation available here thanks to HalaMerthur](http://www.movietvslash.com/thread-193523-1-1.html)

Merlin was walking dead on his feet. After a gruelling shift at A&E, Merlin needed to lie down and maybe eat an entire vending machine. When he walked into the breakroom, Lance looked up from his newspaper with a knowing look, and patted the couch cushion next to him. Merlin plopped down next to his friend, legs kicked up on the coffee table, slouched so low that his chin rested on his chest.

“Hard shift?” Lance asked.

“Mrrr.” He grumbled back, eyes closed.

His phone rang, with what Merlin was sure was the fiftieth call of the past hour. He was about to chuck it across the room when Lance grabbed it from him.

“You can’t afford another one.” Lance said, still not looking up from the newspaper.

“I’ll get Arthur to buy me another one.” Merlin whined as the phone continued to ring in Lance’s hand.

“I’m telling him that you think he’s a large walking wallet.” Lance said with a smile. “Speak of the devil” he tossed the phone onto Merlin’s chest. He looked down to see Arthur’s face blinking back at him as the phone continued to ring.

Merlin picked up the phone quickly. “Arthur?”

Arthur almost never called him. He was either too busy, or he knew Merlin was too busy.

“Hey, Merlin.” Arthur said. “How are you?”

Merlin looked at Lance who raised a brow in question at him. Merlin turned back to Arthur. “I’m good...How are you?”

“Fine, fine.” Arthur said and there was a long pause.

“Was there a reason for calling me?” Merlin asked.

“Er…I’m not bothering you, am I?” Arthur asked. “I checked, you’re scheduled to be on break.”

“Yes, I just got off a long shift. Told you Fridays are always the weirdest days.” Merlin said, thinking that Arthur’s call was another weird thing to add to his list.

“Good, just wanted to say ‘hi.’” Arthur said. Merlin heard something loud in the background. People talking. Arthur might have been at the office, but it was hardly ever loud there.

“Alright, you’re never sentimental. What are you doing?” Merlin said, crossing his arms as if Arthur could see his stare through the phone.

“Nothing!” Arthur said, clearly lying. “Just wanted to talk to you.”

Merlin narrowed his eyes. “You always say I talk too much.”

“I love hearing you talk.” Arthur said. Something was wrong. Arthur never willingly gave such a straight-forward compliment. It was always ‘It’s better than listening to Gwaine’ or ‘You’re blathering is far more interesting than my work.’

Something loud buzzed in the background of Arthur’s call. Arthur sounded a little distant as Merlin heard someone talk to Arthur and he responded “Yes, that’s me. Excuse me.”

The phone rustled and Merlin could hear someone speak in the background.

“What in the world are you doing?” Merlin asked, not knowing if his confusion was due to Arthur or his long shift.

“Mr. Pendragon, please take a seat.”

“Wait a second…” Merlin said as his brain processed all the background noise. “Are you at the  _ hospital _ ?” Merlin almost shrieked as he finally figured it out.

“No!” Arthur said, before correcting himself. “Well, yes! But I’m  _ fine _ . I’ve just come in for my flu shot.”

Merlin’s heart, which had sped up as he thought of every accident that Arthur might have gotten into, slowed down again. Then he remembered that Arthur, his fearless boyfriend who would take down an army of lawyers in the courtroom, was terrified of needles. When he had found out that Merlin was a doctor, he had paled at the thought of even visiting Merlin at work.

“Oh, you clotpole.” Merlin shook his head. He looked to Lance and covered the mouthpiece of his phone, though he knew Arthur could hear him. “Arthur’s getting his flu shot. I’ll be right back.”

“Poor bloke.” Lance nodded in understanding, “Tell him that I’ll take him for a pint this weekend.”

Merlin stood, making his way out of the break room and towards the hospital’s clinic. “Did you hear that?” he asked Arthur.

“I’m fine.” Arthur said, and despite sounding stern, Merlin knew he was probably bouncing on his toes with nerves.

“Yes, of course. So should I not come over there and see you?” Merlin asked, as he made his way through the hospital corridors.

There was a long pause. Arthur let out a breath. “No…”

“That’s what I thought.” Merlin grinned as he jumped out of the way of a passing cart. “I told you that you could wait to do this when I was on clinic duty.”

“ _ Hell no _ ” Arthur said. “I’d rather not have my boyfriend be the one stabbing me with those damned things.”

Merlin smiled to himself. “Don’t get grumpy.”

“Shut up” Arthur said, grumpily.

Knowing that Arthur needed a distraction, Merlin decided to ramble on about his day. “Well, while you’re waiting, want to hear how many people came in with things stuck in various places?”

“Your job astonishes me” Arthur said with a laugh.

“Hey, I’m just here to get it unstuck. Whoever put it there, that’s on them.” Merlin said. He rambled on about the people he saw today, and Arthur seemed to relax a bit. 

Then Arthur yelped suddenly.

“Arthur?” Merlin asked.

In the background, Merlin heard: “Sorry, sir. I thought it’d be better not to tell you when I was going to do it.”

Merlin laughed as he heard Arthur splutter some kind of insult on the other end. Merlin had finally made it to the clinic, where he saw a bowl of lollies on the reception desk. He grabbed a red one. 

“Didn’t faint, did you, love?” Merlin asked through the phone.

“Of course not, Merlin.” Arthur said and Merlin saw him exit one of the clinic rooms. He looked a little pale with his phone to his ear and his sleeve rolled up to his shoulder, but otherwise fine.

Merlin strode up to him and smiled as he held up the lolly. “For you.”

Arthur narrowed his eyes, but nonetheless he took the sweet. “I hate getting shots.”

“Want me to make it better?” Merlin asked, straightening Arthur’s collar and looking up at him.

“You’re a cheesy, idiot.” Arthur said. “I told you, I’m fine.”

“So you called me just to say hi?” Merlin said, trying to hold back his smile, knowing that Arthur had called him to calm himself down. Not that Arthur would admit it.

“Yes, I’ll have you know-”

Merlin cut him off, cupping Arthur’s jaw and kissing him chastely. Merlin pulled away and asked, “Feeling better?”

His cheeks were more flushed than before, so Merlin decided he had done his job. 

“Maybe” Arthur grumbled.

Merlin kissed him again and when he pulled away, Arthur was relaxed and his cheeks flushed.

“How about now?” Merlin asked.

Arthur’s eyes opened and he sighed defeatedly, “Much better.” He leaned in and pecked a kiss on Merlin’s cheek. “Thank you, Merlin.”


End file.
